tourism

Welcome To Srikakulam Historical places

Arasavilli(temple of sun god):

The temple is believed to have been built in the 7th Century AD by the Kalinga rulers Devendra Varma of Orissa.
Arasavalli is home to an ancient temple to the Sun (Suryanarayana) - said to have been built originally by the Kalinga rulers of Orissa around the 7th century CE. Arasavalli is located at Srikakulam near Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.. Also near Srikakulam are the Mukhalingam temples built in the Orissa temple idiom, and Sree Kurmam bearing a shrine to Vishnu depicting his Kurma avataram.
Legend has it that Indra the king of Gods attempted to force his entry into the temple of Koteeshwara - Shiva and was thrown away by the gatekeeper Nandi. Repentful of his arrogance in attempting to force his entry, Indra enshrined Surya the Sun God in a temple and performed worship services, at Arasavalli.
A black granite image of Surya about 5 feet in height bearing lotus buds (hence the name Padma Paani), flanked by his consorts Padma, Usha and Chhaaya, on a 7 horse driven chariot is the object of worship here. At the base of the image are the gate keepers Pingala and Danda and the saints Sanaka and Sananda. Surya's charioteer Aruna (Anoora) is also depicted in the image.
The Arasavalli teemple was built by the Eastern Kalinga Kings who ruled over the Kalinga region from the 4th through the 14th century CE. Inscriptions reveal grants made by Aditya Vishnu Sarma and Bhanu Sarma of the Kalinga clan. The present structure is largely a result of 18th century renovations.
The Temple is a Panchayatana temple with Aditya in the center, with Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati and Vishnu in four corners of the quadrangle. An image of Indra is also enshrined in this temple.

Srikurmam(temple of Vishhnu-Kurmavatara):

Srikurmam is the only temple in the country where Lord Vishnu is in the form of Kurma Avatara (An incarnation of Tortoise). This magnificent temple of Lord Vishnu is situated at Srikurmam which lies in the Gara mandal on the northeast which is 15 Kms from Srikakulam.
The sculpture of the temple is carved carefully and is really a delight to watch the Lord in this avatara. The Vishnu temple located here is architecturally unique. Here the rock statues are from 11 A.D. Sri Simhachala Devastanam adopted this temple for betterment. This temple is all praises for its architectural beauty and importantly the serene environment which is very peaceful.
The temple premises has around 200 pillars and many inscriptions in Devenagri script dating from the 11th to the 19th century A.D can be found inscripted on them. The temple has a huge five storied gopuram built in typical South Indian style architecture. The murals resemble their similarity to the one found at Ajantha Caves in Mahrashtra.
One unique feature of this temple is that it has Dhwajastambams (flag masts) in the front and back of the temple, the reason behind is because the deity faces to the back of the temple on the west side and hence the reason for another Dhwajastambam. For this reason piligrims can directly enter into the 'garbha gudi' the inner sanctum sanctorium, which may not be a possibility in any other temple.
In this place you can watch different types of live tortoises in a near by place adjacent to the temple grounds.

Salihundam:

Salihundam is a historically notable village and panchayat in Gara Mandal of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a famous Buddhist Remnants site situated on the south bank of River Vamsadhara at a distance of 5 kilometers west of Kalingapatnam and 18 kilometers from Srikakulam town.
It was known as “Salivatika” (meaning rice emporium). But many called it "Salyapetika" (meaning box of bones or relics). There are a number of Buddhist stupas and a huge monastic complex on a hillock amidst scenic surroundings. The site was first discovered by Gidugu Venkata Rama Murthy in 1919. During excavations relic caskets, four stupas, a Chaityagriha, structural temples and a number of sculptures reflecting the three phases of Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana were found dating back to about 2nd century BC to 12th century AD. The statues of 'Tara'[1] and Marichi were discovered at this site and from here Buddhism spread to Sumatra and other far-eastern countries through River Vamsadhara and Kalingapatnam Port.

Srimukhalingam(temple of Shiva):

Srimukhalingeswara Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located on the left banks of River Vamsadhara. Elegantly carved, this temple is a group of three temples dedicated to three forms of Lord Shiva namely, Mukhalingeswara, Bhimeswara and Someswara. The temple is built in Indo-Aryan style. To witness one of the marvellous sculptures, carvings and intricate architecture, one has to visit this temple. The architecture of the temple is so elegant that one just cannot move eyes from it. As you observe closely, you can see that every piece and corner of the temple is as excellent as the other.
At the entrance, which is a huge arched gate, you are welcomed by two lions on each side of the few stair-cases. The first gate takes you to the outer prakara have where there is you a Nandi in a mandapam. A more intricately carved gate with figures of Gods and Goddesses takes you to the inner prakara (compound wall) where stands one of the master pieces of those times, the temple of Mukhalingeswara. At every corner of the inner prakara, there are many small temples, some dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Someshwara and Bhimeswara) and Lord Ganesha. As you enter the temple, in the inner compound, there are two temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, one at your right and the other at your left. In the centre stands the fantastic finely carved temple. The walls of the temple in the centre have images of Gods and Goddesses in their various avatar (forms). You can see images of Lord Shiva with His consort, some of them are forms of Lord Vishnu on them. Every image depicts a story from the Shiva Purana.

Calingapatnam(Gautama Buddha):

light house:

Kalingapatnam lies close S of the mouth of the Vamsadhara River and about 1.5 miles NNW of Sandy Point. There are no berthing facilities. Kalingapatnam is known in the history as the Capital of Gang Dynasty who ruled the region, spread over the entire coastal belt from Godavari to Ganges (Hooghly) during 8th to 15th century. Kalingapatnam was a flourishing port and trade centre during the ancient times-Vessels from here sailed to Srilanka, Java, Sumatra and Singapore. In the later part of the 19th century the British introduced a regular steamer service between Rangoon and Kalingapatnam.
A lighthouse, 31m high Hexagonal Masonry Tower red and white, is located near Thansahebpeta village.Kalingapatnam Beach is situated 30 Kms from Srikakulam and is very near to Sailihundam. This scenic spot was an ancient seaport . European merchants resided here during the regime of the East India Company. Places of interest include a light house and a Buddhist Stupa.This beach boasts of a rich history. In kalingapatnam the River Vamsadhara meets the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the nearest beach resorts to Srikakulam town. Kalingapatnam was also one of the ancient Andhra's harbor towns. Perfumes, textiles and other commodities were exported to the rest of the world from this port.
The best way to reach these places would be to catch a private cab or get there by own vehicles as there are less number of buses that ply from Srikakulam. Government of Andhra Pradesh has plans to develop Beach Resorts at Kalingapatnam.

Telineelapuram(birds santury):

Telineelapuram and Telukunchi Bird Sanctuaries are located in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Telineelapuram is a village located 65 kilometers from Srikakulam in Tekkali mandal, while Telukunchi is at a distance of 115 kilometers from Srikakulam in Ichchapuram mandal.
Every year, over 3,000 pelicans and painted storks visit from Siberia to these villages during September and stay on till March. It is a paradise for bird observers.
Researchers at Andhra University said the birds had been following this aerial route since 15 years. The migratory movement was first noticed over 15 years ago. At that time the number of birds exceeded 10,000. Today, the figure has been reduced to about 3,000.
Nearest railway station to Telineelapuram is Naupada railway station, 3 kilometers far from Telineelapuram. One can take auto from Naupada railway station to Telineelapuram. Long distance trains like East Coast Express, Howrah-Chennai Superfast mail etc. halt at Naupada station.

Famous temples

Sri Endala Mallikharjuna Swamy:

The legend of the temple is associated with the Mahabharata story. An ancient temple of Sri Endala Mallikarjuna Swamy is situated here. The linga is a Swayambhu and is about 20 meters in height and 3 meters in width. Pandavas while in exile visited this temple and met Markandeya Maharshi, who appraised them of the importance of Ravivalasa shrine
Transport:Ravivalasa lies 6 Kms from Tekkali and 60 Kms from Srikakulam.